Clams With Guanciale Sunchokes And Celery Root Recipes

CLAMS WITH CELERY AND TOASTED GARLIC

Steps:

• Preferably using a natural bristle kitchen scrubber (a brand new kitchen sponge will work as well), scrub the clams well under running water. After the clams have been scrubbed and scrubbed again, let them hang out in a large bowl of cold water. This will allow any residual sediment or grit to free itself from the shells and settle at the bottom of the bowl while you do everything else.
• Heat oil, butter and chorizo or other pork product, if using, in a large pot (make sure it has a lid) over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pot occasionally until the butter has started to brown a little and the fat has begun to render from the pork, 3 to 4 minutes. (The pork won't be crispy, but that's O.K.; you're not looking for that.)
• Add the garlic and cook, stirring a minute or two until it begins to take on a toasty, light golden-brown color. Add wine and cook, letting it simmer until it's a little more than halfway reduced, 2 to 3 minutes. Add celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the celery is bright green and just tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add clams and shake the pot so they settle nicely. Place the lid on the pot and give it the occasional shake, letting them steam open and release their juices, 3 to 5 minutes. (Larger clams will take longer.) The shaking of the pot is not only fun to do, but it gives all the clams quality time with the hottest part of the pot, which will encourage them to open around the same time, although there's always one or two clams late to the party. If there's one that just never makes it to the party (as in, it never opens), it's dead and should be thrown away.
• Toss the parsley, chives and celery leaves in a small bowl, then add lemon or lime zest and juice, and season with salt and pepper. Serve the clams with a hunk of crusty fresh bread or thick slices of toast that have been drizzled with lots of olive oil and rubbed with a cut clove of garlic, scattering the parsley mixture over everything.

SCOTT URE'S CLAMS AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Wash clams to remove any dirt or sand.
• In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic; saute for 1 minute, or until tender. Pour in the white wine. Boil until wine has reduced to half its original volume.
• Add clams, cover, and steam till clams start to open. Add butter, cover, and cook till most or all of the clams open. Discard any that do not open. Transfer clams and juice to 2 large bowls. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve.

STEAMED CLAMS WITH GUANCIALE AND SORREL

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, brown the guanciale to render some of the fat. Pour off the fat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and chile flakes and cook until the garlic is soft and the chile flakes are toasted, 2 minutes. Add the clams and increase the heat to medium-high. Add the wine and cover.
• After 5 or 6 minutes, check to see whether the clams have opened. Discard any that have failed to open. Add the lemon juice and toss. Pile into a serving bowl and top with the sorrel. Serve immediately.

SHOOT THE ROOT

Steps:

• In a pint glass, add chilled beer. Drop shot glass filled with root beer into beer and drink.

BUTTER-POACHED LOBSTER ROLLS WITH CELERY FENNEL SLAW

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Remove the claws and tails from the lobsters. Boil the tails for 1 minute and the claws for 4 minutes, then remove from the water. Immediately remove the meat from the shells and set aside.
• Add the oil to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add and sweat the onions, garlic and bay leaves until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Carefully add the vermouth and reduce until dry, about 2 minutes. Add the cream, then reduce by two-thirds, until thick. Slowly whisk in the pound of butter little by little until fully emulsified. Add the lobster tail and claw meat to the butter cream sauce and poach over low heat at 165 degrees F until cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the lobster from the pan and allow to cool just to the touch. Rough chop and set aside.
• Add the mustard seeds, vinegar, sugar and 1 tablespoon kosher salt to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, separate the celery into stalks. Using a Japanese mandoline, slice the celery into paper-thin strips. Cut the fennel bulb into quarters. Using the Japanese mandoline, slice the fennel bulb paper thin.
• In a medium bowl, toss the celery slices, fennel slices, mustard oil and 2 tablespoons pickled mustard seeds. Taste and adjust as desired with more mustard seeds. Keep cool until ready to serve.
• In a 12-inch cast-iron pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and griddle the buns, top side-down, over medium-high heat until golden brown.
• Open the buns and fill with spoonfuls of the lobster mixture. Top with a handful of the slaw and garnish with the reserved fennel fronds.

ROTISSERIE CHICKEN, WITH FRIED YUCCA ROOT

Steps:

• Rotisserie Chicken:
• Rinse the chicken very well, and cut off all the fat. Tuck the wings under the back of the chicken.
• Make a paste by mixing the garlic, huacatay, pepper, salt, aji, cumin, lemon or lime juice and achiote. Spread paste on the chicken and rub well from outside to inside. Let stand in the refrigerator for 2 hours or more, for a good flavor.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put the chicken in the roasting pan with lid. Cook, covered, for 1 1/2 hours or until it is golden brown.
• Yucca Root:
• After you have peeled and boiled the yucca. Cut it into a French fry shape. In a deep pot or a deep-fryer heat oil to 350 degrees F. Fry the yucca in batches, if necessary, until golden brown and crispy. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
• Aji sauce:
• Mix cream of aji, olive oil, green onions, and lime juice in a medium bowl.
• Cheese sauce:
• Blend queso fresco, red onion, oil, milk, turmeric mixture, chile, salt and pepper, and lemon juice in a blender until it becomes creamy.
• Put the whole chicken on a plate with the fried yucca root around, and the 2 sauces on the side for dipping. This is the way my kids started to eat the chicken I make, and thank you God, no more chicken fingers.

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER WITH CELERY ROOT

Steps:

• Sauté pancetta over medium heat until crisp, stirring often. While it's cooking, pour the clam juice/chicken stock into a 4-cup measuring cup. Add the liquid from the cans of clams to the juice/stock, making approximately 4 ½ cups of liquid.
• Add the diced celery and onions, cooking unti translucent.
• Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, being careful that the garlic doesn't burn.
• Stir in the collagen, coating all of the veggies and the bacon. Continue cooking about a minute until it begins to brown.
• Slowly pour in the clam juice/chicken stock mixture, whisking it into the flour veggie mixture. .
• Add the celery root, thyme, and bay leaves. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; continue cooking for 20 minutes or until the celery root is soft.
• Stir in the cream and chopped clams, and let heat through for a minute. Remove from the heat stir in the fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

LAMB SHANKS WITH CELERY ROOT AND THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place a heavy iron skillet over high heat, adding oil when pan is hot. Add lamb shanks and brown well on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
• Reduce heat and add onion, celery root and mushrooms with 1/4 cup of the water. Stir and scrape to loosen browned particles. Add thyme and cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften around the edges.
• Add tomatoes; stir to combine well, and then put shanks on top of vegetables. Add wine and stock, plus the remaining 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer on top of stove, cover tightly with foil and put skillet in hot oven. Braise shanks until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Before serving, add salt and pepper as desired. Serve immediately.